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Yorkshire Water Launches Smart Water Network Pilot

Water leak detection - water leak repair - underground water leak - H2O Building Services

 

Yorkshire Water has launched a new smart water network pilot in collaboration with 15 companies in the digital water arena that combines data from acoustic, flow, pressure and water quality monitors to focus on water leak detection and repairs.

 

It will be the biggest and most extensive pilot of its kind in the UK, being rolled out in west Sheffield to reduce leaks and burst levels in the area, testing the latest digital water meters, sensors, telecommunications channels and advanced analytics.

 

The hope is that the pilot will revolutionise the way in which the water supplier manages leaks and interruptions to water supply in the future, thus reducing the amount of water taken from the environment.

 

Rich data from multiple sources will be integrated and presented in a single visualisation platform to produce a virtual model of the network’s physical assets – known as a digital twin. Machine learning and artificial intelligence will then be used to inform asset and operational decision making.

 

Sam Bright, Yorkshire Water innovation programme manager, said: “Technology has progressed so much over the past few years that we are now able to combine more data streams than ever before and push the boundaries of what is possible using artificial intelligence.

 

“It really is an exciting time to be at the forefront of translating these advances into real value for our customers.”

 

Analysts will be able to prioritise different repair jobs instantly, which means that leaks will be fixed quicker and the amount of water lost reduced. The pilot will last 12 months and the outputs then used as part of the supplier’s digital strategy to decide upon future dynamic control and system optimisation capabilities.

 

Yorkshire Water has also been carrying out proactive health checks on sewers in some parts of Leeds to help drive down the risk of sewer flooding, given numerous incidents reported in the local area over the last couple of years.

 

The supplier and its contract partners have been inspecting and surveying sewers, repairing any problems uncovered. Some damaged sewers will be relined, with broken pipes and gullies replaced. Disused drains from old outside toilets and washing blocks are also being checked to ensure that they have been properly disconnected.

 

Senior project manager Jonathan Lemoine explained that a health check on sewers in Harehills is being conducted to ensure they’re flowing properly, with £2.5 million spent on this project.

 

He did issue a reminder, however, that wet wipes, sanitary items and leftover cooking fat shouldn’t be flushed or washed down the drain, as this can result in blockages in pipes – and lead to sewage backing up into properties.

 

If you’d like to have a health check carried out on your pipes to find out if you have any leaks and are wasting water unnecessarily, get in touch with us here at H2o Building Services today to see how we can help.

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